1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for distributing a computer program for using a data processing apparatus, and more specifically, to a data processing apparatus, a computer-readable recording medium that contains a computer program, and a data processing system aiding a user in installing and configuring a computer program for making a data processing apparatus usable to an information terminal device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various restrictions have become imposed on use of a multifunctional peripheral (MFP) or a printer, from the viewpoints of saving resources, reducing costs, and ensuring information security. Examples of such restrictions include a restriction on users who are permitted to use the apparatus, a restriction on the number of sheets permitted to print, or color modes permitted to use. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving convenience for the users, functional enhancements such as location-free printing and integrated circuit (IC) card authentication are also introduced to such apparatuses.
If such an apparatus is a simple network printer or the like, as long as a user knows basic information such as the model name or the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the apparatus, the user himself/herself can download a device driver from the website of the manufacture, and set up an environment for making the apparatus usable. However, as more functional enhancements described above are introduced, the installation process becomes more complex, because the user needs to set up an environment or install drivers and applications to make such functional enhancements usable. For example, if a use restriction is to be imposed using a user code or a user identification (ID), a user code or a user ID needs to be configured in addition to networking configurations such as an IP address. Furthermore, there are some cases where it is preferable not to make the IP address open, from the viewpoint of ensuring security.
In particular, it is cumbersome for information system administrators in government agencies, companies, and universities to set up initial configurations on each personal computer to be managed, or to ask end-users to perform such configurations. Provided to alleviate such burdens of system administrators are aiding tools for creating an installation package for enabling required applications, drivers, special utilities, and configurations to be installed all at once.
Also known as a technology for aiding the installation process is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4340476. In Japanese Patent No. 4340476, a scenario unique to a computer is created by retrieving and acquiring data from installation database, and incorporating the data in a scenario template in which steps of installing software are described. In this manner, installations of device drivers or configurations of the printing environment required for enabling a terminal to use network printing from a printing apparatus can be easily performed to each terminal.
Known as a technology for aiding the user-side installation process is a technology for collecting device information from a printer or an MFP on a network in advance, and allowing a user to download an installation package from a list. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-131976 discloses a technology in which, when a printer is selected from a list on a terminal, connection configurations and printing configurations are performed by acquiring a printer driver corresponding to the printer from a database. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-301608 discloses a technology in which, when a user selects a peripheral device to be installed from a list of peripheral devices, an installer is used to check if the driver is already installed before installing such a driver. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-353079 discloses a technology in which a device driver is automatically updated to the latest release.
As described above, various technologies are known to support installations and configurations of a computer program such as a device driver of a device, or to update a computer program to the latest release. When the aiding tool for creating the installation package is used, although the burdens of the system administrators can be reduced, end-users need to complete the installation process and manage the package appropriately. There are some cases that the end-user cannot find the package distributed in the past when the user is going to use the package because the installation process was incomplete or the user re-installed an operating system (OS), for example.
In the technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4340476 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-301608, although a user can download and install a computer program when the user needs the computer program, the user needs to find the exact device the user wants to use from a list or the like. Computer programs may also be organized in a hierarchical structure or retrieved using attribute information such as a building, a floor, or a section in which the apparatus is installed, but there are some cases no attribute information is assigned or devices of the same model are installed in a large number. In a large organization, because an enormous number of devices are installed, it is difficult for a user to find a target device. Furthermore, if a user installs a wrong computer program, the user needs to do an extra work.
Therefore, having been desired is a development of a technology for allowing a computer program for making a target data processing apparatus usable to be installed and configured to a target terminal device through a simple and intuitive process.